


An attribute of the strong

by Jadesfire



Category: X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) - Fandom
Genre: Comment Fic, Gen, post-film tag, quotes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-04
Updated: 2016-03-04
Packaged: 2018-05-24 16:14:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6159337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jadesfire/pseuds/Jadesfire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.</i> Mahatma Gandhi</p>
            </blockquote>





	An attribute of the strong

**Author's Note:**

> Tag immediately after the end of Days of Future Past.

The air in Charles' study was so musty he could taste it. He couldn't imagine what his room was going to smell like now. The windows would need to be opened before either he or Hank spent any time in there. The rugs would need to go as well; they kept making the wheels of his chair spin. 

Behind him, Hank hovered in the doorway, as though not quite sure whether or not to follow.

"It's fine," Charles said, turning and trying for a smile. "It's just going to take a bit of work. And I owe you an apology, my friend."

Under the embarrassment, Charles could feel the gratitude, the relief, and he made a point not to curse himself for a weak-minded idiot. Again. Regrets weren't going to fulfil the promise he'd made to Logan. 

Instead, he met Hank's eyes, making sure he'd been understood. 

"I get it," Hank said, and there was no deception underlying it that Charles could detect. His powers were still on uncertain foundations, but he was reasonably sure he'd pick up a lie. "It's okay." Which was possibly ambitious. 'Okay' still felt like a long way off. "What are you going to do?"

"First, I'm going to have a shower." Both of them were still covered in cement dust, and although Hank had cleaned off the worst of the blood, Charles could still feel it in his hair every time he moved. "Then we're going to go downstairs and see what we can do to fix Cerebro. I fear I rather damaged it last time."

Hank's whole face lit up with such excitement that Charles couldn't help but smile. "That's great. I've got all kinds of ideas for improvements, but with-" he broke off, obviously trying to find words that could possibly encompass the mess of the last ten years, and failing to do so. He finally settled on a hand wave and, "everything, I haven't been able to test them."

"That's good, Hank. We'll start as soon as we're rested and fed. This place needs more people in it again."

"You're going to re-start the school?"

"I am." He made the words more confident than he felt. In truth, he hardly felt qualified to give instructions to a small kitten, let alone other mutants. That wasn't what Hank needed to hear, though. "We're going to get the whole place up and running again. Students, teachers, training, everything. There are still thousands of mutants out there with nowhere to go. We're going to make sure they know they can come here. That all mutants are welcome here."

"All of them?"

With his still-struggling powers, Charles had to wince at the mental images Hank couldn't help but project. Of Raven limping away. Of Erik unrepentant and cold. It hurt more than he was prepared to admit, and two days ago, he would have done anything to not see it any more. To crawl into a haze of silence and alcohol. But having Logan here, so sure that Charles was strong enough to do this, at a time when Charles himself had never felt weaker? For some reason, Charles found himself wanting to prove Logan right.

Hank was still watching him, and Charles forced his mind back into the present. "Yes," he said simply. "All of them. I can't make up for everything I've done in the last ten years. For my abandonment of our dreams, for letting you down so badly, for trying to deny everything I am. All I can do is ask your forgiveness. And if I deserve it, then anyone does."

Pressing his lips together, Hank looked away, staring at the wreck of the room. As much as he could, Charles stayed away from whatever Hank was thinking, even as the rolling emotions washed over him. 

"Okay," Hank said eventually. "If that's how you want it, then we'll just have to try, won't we? But I'm not making any promises."

"Understood. And thank you, Hank." Carefully, Charles held out his hand. In the last ten years, Hank had carried him from room to room, had held his arm still when Charles was shaking too much to administer the serum himself, had held everything together while Charles fell apart. He was strong enough to do this, Charles knew, and when Hank shook his hand, sealing their new start, he hoped Hank knew it as well.


End file.
